Robert Martin Friedland is an American/Canadian billionaire financier in the mining industry. Since the early 1980s, he has specialized in securing funding for the exploration and development of mineral and energy resources and technology ventures. He is the founder and chairman of his private, family-owned firm, Ivanhoe Capital Corporation, which is active in capital markets, focused on emerging markets. He is the founder and co-chairman of Ivanhoe Minesa Canadian public company listed on the Toronto and OTCQX exchanges.
Early life
Robert Friedland was born in Chicago, Illinois, the eldest of three children born to immigrant parents Ilona and Albert Friedland. Friedland's father survived three years in Auschwitz while his mother worked as a forced laborer during the Holocaust. He resigned from Bowdoin College in 1970 after being arrested by federal authorities for the possession of an estimated $100,000 worth of LSD, a crime for which he was sentenced to two years in federal prison, but received early release on probation. He graduated in 1974 from Reed College, Oregon, with a political science degree. His senior year at Reed, Friedland was student body president. During his time at Reed he met Steve Jobs with whom he shared an interest in Eastern spirituality. At the time, Friedland served as the caretaker of an apple farm south of Portland that was owned by his millionaire uncle Marcel Muller and Jobs would come on the weekends and help with the apple orchard, which served as the inspiration for the name of his company, Apple Inc. Friedland turned the orchard into a commune called All One Farm. His followers were not paid for working on commercial endeavors there.
Career
Friedland is executive co-chairman of Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. , a Canadian mining company focused on advancing three joint-venture projects in Southern Africa: the development of major new mines at the Kamoa-Kakula copper discoveries near Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of Congo and at the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-rhodium-gold discovery near Mokopane in South Africa; and the extensive redevelopment and upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC. Ivanhoe also is exploring for new copper discoveries on its wholly owned Western Foreland exploration licences in the DRC, near the Kamoa-Kakula Project. The current Ivanhoe Mines was launched in 1993 as African Minerals to pursue mineral interests in Southern Africa. It was renamed Ivanplats Limited in 2011, and then Ivanhoe Mines in 2013. Friedland also operates Ivanhoe Capital from its corporate headquarters in Singaporea location that has facilitated his focus on the Asia Pacific region. Ivanhoe Capital has specialized in the provision of venture capital, project financing and related financial services for a roster of international business enterprises since its founding in 1987. Friedland was CEO of the original Ivanhoe Mines, which he founded as Indochina Goldfields in 1994 and led to a successful initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1996. He was chairman, and later executive chairman, until 2011. Exploration by Ivanhoe Mines since 2000 discovered a chain of copper, gold and silver deposits at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia's South Gobi region. The first phase of what is independently projected to be one of the world's largest porphyry copper and gold mines Oyu Tolgoi began commercial production in 2013.. The original Ivanhoe Mines was renamed Turquoise Hill Resources in 2012. Turquoise Hill Resources is focused on the operation and further development of the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine. Friedland's other corporate leadership positions include or have included:
Personal life
Robert Friedland holds dual US and Canadian citizenship and is also a resident of Singapore. He is married to Darlene, and they have three children. His son, Govind Friedland, is a geologist.
